Waking up to the shrill cry of birds and sun streaming through the window has fast become normality – the relaxed Sri Lankan lifestyle has eased us effortlessly into village life. Sri Lankans do hospitality to the extreme and there is always a friendly greeting, a warm welcome, the offer of tea or juice and food with countless invitations to peoples’ houses. It’s good to be back in Pelena West.The pre-school that opened last year is still the hub of the village, a gathering place and a central focus. It is a place where not only children come together but also parents, and the new second storey, provided by the Rotary Club of Durham Elvet, provides a versatile meeting area for village events. Not only that, but thanks to the Durham Elvet Rotarians who are working with us in the the Project, there is now a growing library too, a village computer, and also a child friendly computer. The mural painted last year on the outside wall still proudly announces ‘Pelena West Duck Pre-school’, yet the building is now far more imposing, and in the afternoons children may be seen leaning over the balconies upstairs.The continuing link between Durham and Pelena West is hugely important. Last year we left the village with a real sense of community, a successful pre-school and a flourishing afternoon club for older children. It was good to return to find the pre-school still going strong, the after school club still running, and excitement among the villagers for the coming weeks. We were greeted with happy faces, wonderful dancing, and an enthusiastic show of hands from the mothers in response to the offer of English classes. In a morning, then, we divide our time between the pre-school and a small English class for mothers. In the pre-school we’re extra pairs of hands, play things and human climbing frames, while with the mothers we’re both friends and teachers. Some of them grouped together one morning to show us how to cook some of the amazing Sri Lankan dishes and time just spent getting to know one another is just as valuable as any formal lesson. One focus that we hope to centre on as the weeks go by is tourism. Many Sri Lankans on the coast rely on tourism for their livelihoods but due to the civil conflict in the north guest houses remain empty, and have been for a number of months. There is hope that the tourists will return soon – and there is every reason for people to visit this beautiful island – and therefore we hope to be able to discuss with the villagers what implications tourism might have and how they may react or promote income generation.During the afternoons we teach English to the teachers – the pre-school teachers and those who run the afternoon session. We will also be teaching basic computer skills – once the English lessons have progressed a little more – with the idea that they can then be key members in the village who can teach others after we have gone, thus promoting sustainability. In the after-school club we either take part in activities, or initiate new activities for a bit of variety. The after school club was initially a UNICEF project after the tsunami and was never intended to be a formal teaching set up. Instead it is a safe place for the children to come to in an afternoon, be stimulated, try new things and make friends with the other children in the village. We’re not teachers, but friends, and our involvement in village life at the informal level is just as important, if not more than, our formal responsibilities.